Education

Improve Teacher Retention and Pay

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A teacher reads to a group of students at Andrew Hamilton school. A new report found that teachers in their first three years of teaching and teachers of color leave their jobs at higher rates than others. (Carly Sitrin/Chalkbeat)

Progress Updates

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Philly School District: Teaching jobs saved if Parker’s Uber tax passes,

(Inquirer) The Philadelphia School District will reverse its plan to eliminate 340 classroom-based jobs if Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s $1-per-trip rideshare tax passes, officials said Wednesday.

Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. has ordered the cuts in light of a $300 million structural deficit. In total, 148 teachers, 23 counselors, and 119 climate staff would lose positions as the district faces the end of federal COVID-19 relief funds and rising salary, benefit, and charter-school costs — and is unable to raise its own revenue.

“It means destabilizing our schools and in essence setting us back,” the mayor said Wednesday of the budget cuts as she touted her proposal to avoid them and lobbied for the new tax at a City Hall news conference.

Mayor Cherelle Parker wants to lower teacher attrition, in part to uphold educational quality and consistency for students in the Philadelphia School District. Here's some of what she's done so far on this front:

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Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington, second from left, Mayor Cherelle Parker, and Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Arthur Steinberg stand along others on the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025 (Carly Sitrin / Chalkbeat)
Chalkbeat

Philadelphia teachers union ratifies new contract that gives teachers raises, parental leave

Members of the Philadelphia teachers union voted to ratify the union’s new contract with the school district Thursday that includes annual 3% raises...
atim Byrd (center), a teacher at Strawberry Mansion High School, discusses citywide efforts to attract and retain more teachers and teachers of color in Philadelphia. Kristen A. Graham / Staff
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philly officials want to recruit more teachers of color to address staffing shortage

Philadelphia has about 200,000 students in public and charter schools, and about 12,000 teachers. The Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition is...

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Solutions Progress Report

The Solutions Progress Report tracks updates on the key issues and initiatives of Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration.

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